Assassins
by Darkeh
Summary: Sequel to The Bramble and The Hawk. The Clans have barely recovered from Hawkstar's terrible reign when old enemies return and ThunderClan's three newest warriors find themselves in the center of yet another battle for their lives. AU
1. Allegiances

Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

**Leader - **Graystar - long haired gray tom

**Deputy - **Stormfur - dark gray tom with amber eyes

**Medicine Cat - **Leafpool - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Warriors - **Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat

Cloudtail - long haired white tom

Brackenfur - golden brown tabby tom

**Apprentice, **Pinepaw

Sorreltail - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice, **Foxpaw

Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom

Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger patches

**Apprentice, **Maplepaw

Spiderleg - long limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice, **Icepaw

Ferncloud - pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes

Birchfall - light brown tabby tom

Honeyfur - light brown tabby she-cat

Cinderheart - gray tabby she-cat

Poppyleaf - tortoiseshell she-cat

Fireblaze - orange tabby tom with green eyes

Blackstorm - black tom with amber eyes

Nightfrost - pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, blue eyes

**Apprentices - **Foxpaw - reddish tabby tom

Icepaw - white she-cat

Pinepaw - gray and white she-cat with green eyes

Maplepaw - light brown tabby she-cat

**Queens - **Brook Where Small Fish Swim (Brook) - brown tabby she-cat, mother of Stormfur's kits, Swiftkit, Thrushkit

Millie - striped gray tabby she-cat, pregnant with Graystripe's kits

**Elders - **Mousefur - small dusky brown she-cat

Longtail - pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight

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**ShadowClan**

**Leader - **Russetstar - dark ginger she-cat

**Deputy - **Oakfur - small brown tom

**Medicine Cat - **Littlecloud - very small tabby tom

**Apprentice, **Flamepaw

**Warriors - **Smokefoot - black tom

Toadfoot - silver tom

**Apprentice, **Tigerpaw

Marshwhisker - light brown tabby tom

Tawnypelt - tortoiseshell she-cat

Ivytail - white and tortoiseshell she-cat

**Apprentice, **Dawnpaw

Crowfrost - black and white tom

**Apprentice, **Olivepaw

Kinkfur - tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Ratscar - brown tom with a long scar across his back

**Apprentice, **Shrewpaw

Snaketail - dark brown tom with tabby striped tail

**Apprentice, **Scorchpaw

Whitewater - white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

**Apprentice, **Redpaw

Owlfeather - light brown tabby tom

**Apprentices - **Olivepaw - tortoiseshell she-cat

Shrewpaw - gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchpaw - dark gray tom

Redpaw - mottled brown and ginger tom

Flamepaw - ginger tom

Tigerpaw - dark brown tabby tom

Dawnpaw - cream-furred she-cat

**Queens - **Snowbird - pure white she-cat, mother of Duskkit, Falconkit

**Elders - **Cedarheart - dark gray tom

Tallpoppy - long legged light brown tabby she-cat

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**WindClan**

**Leader - **Ashstar - gray she-cat

**Deputy - **Weaselfur - ginger tom with white paws

**Medicine Cat - **Kestrelwing - light brown tom

**Warriors - **Crowfeather - dark gray tom

Tornear - black tom

Whitetail - small white she-cat

Gorsetail - very pale gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Harespring - brown and white tom

Leaftail - dark brown tabby tom, amber eyes

**Apprentice, **Thistlepaw

Dewspots - spotted gray tabby she-cat

**Apprentice, **Sedgepaw

Willowclaw - gray she-cat

**Apprentice, **Swallowpaw

Antpelt - brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot - gray tom with two dark paws

**Apprentice, **Sunpaw

Heathertail - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Breezepelt - black tom with amber eyes

**Apprentices - **Sunpaw - tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

Swallowpaw - dark gray she-cat

Thistlepaw - long haired white tom

Sedgepaw - light brown tabby she-cat

**Elders - **Webfoot - dark gray tabby tom

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**RiverClan**

**Leader - **Beechstar - light brown tom

**Deputy - **Reedwhisker - black tom

**Medicine Cat - **Mothwing - dappled golden she-cat

**Apprentice, **Willowshine

**Warriors - **Voletooth - small brown tabby tom

Rippletail - dark gray tabby tom

**Apprentice, **Mallowpaw

Minnowtail - beautiful silver tabby she-cat

Pounceflight - dark gray tabby tom

Pebblestream - silver tabby tom

Graymist - pale gray tabby she-cat

Dawnflower - pale gray she-cat

Dapplenose - mottled gray she-cat

Mintfur - light gray tabby tom

**Apprentice, **Nettlepaw

Otterheart - dark brown she-cat

**Apprentice, **Robinpaw

Rainstorm - mottled blue-gray tom

Duskfur - brown tabby she-cat

**Apprentice, **Copperpaw

**Apprentices - **Willowshine - gray tabby she-cat

Nettlepaw - dark brown tabby tom

Robinpaw - tortoiseshell and white tom

Copperpaw - dark ginger she-cat

Mallowpaw - light brown tabby tom

Sneezepaw - gray and white tom

**Queens - **Icewing - white she-cat with green eyes, mother of Beetlekit, Pricklekit, Petalkit and Grasskit

**Elders - **Heavystep - thickset tabby tom

Swallowtail - dark tabby she-cat

Stonestream - gray tom

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**Cats Outside Clans**

Blackclaw - smoky black tom, formerly of RiverClan

Ashfur - pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, formerly of ThunderClan

Rowanclaw - ginger tom, formerly of ShadowClan

Owlwhisker - light brown tabby tom, formerly of WindClan

Shadow - slender dark gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Fang - bulky black tom with green eyes

Thorn - huge ginger-and-white tom with amber eyes

Sky - dark gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes


	2. Prologue

Prologue

**So, here's the sequel to **_**The Bramble and the Hawk **_**that everybody's been waiting for! Yeah, I'm excited, too. x) I have a lot of ideas for this story, and I promise that it will be just as dramatic and suspenseful as it's prequel. To those of you who haven't read the first story, I suggest you go and read it now, or you will be **_**extremely **_**confused. The allegiances were probably confusing enough. xD Oh, and by the way, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :D**

The sun was sinking slowly below the horizon, sending thin tendrils of orange light across the sky. Below, a thick forest lay beside the gray streets of a large Twolegplace. Within this forest's branches was a small ring surrounded by crude wooden fencing. A crowd of Twolegs had gathered around it, chattering to one another excitedly as they clutched green slips of paper in their paws.

Unknown to any of these Twolegs were four cats crouching in the bushes nearby. Their intent eyes took in every movement around them and their muscles were tense, ready to spring away in case they were discovered.

"I don't like this," growled one of the cats, a pale gray tom. His fur was fluffed up nervously as he looked at the scene before him, and his dark blue eyes flickered from side to side. "Nothing that involves Twolegs can be any good."

"Suck it up, Ashfur," hissed one of his companions, an imposing ginger tom. "You heard what that loner said. This is the only way for us to get revenge."

"Ashfur is right, Rowanclaw," meowed a black-furred tom. Both cats turned to stare at him. "I'd rather stay away from these Twolegs. Don't you remember what happened to Hawkstar?"

"But Blackclaw, you said-" the last tom, a light brown tabby, began, only to be cut off by the former TigerClan deputy.

"I know what I said, Owlwhisker, and I'm sticking to it," he growled, unsheathing his claws. "We _will _get our revenge, whether we're surrounded by Twolegs or not."

Suddenly, the crowd fell silent, and the four cats turned to see what had caused the disturbance. They could hear the vicious yowls of a cat nearby, and their fur bristled in shock and anger when they saw what was happening.

Two cats, one a slender dark gray she-cat and the other a bulky golden tabby tom, were being dragged towards the ring by a pair of Twolegs. They struggled and thrashed in their captors' arms, but the Twolegs refused to let go.

After a few painful heartbeats, the cats reached the ring and were tossed roughly inside. The two of them stood still for a moment, trying to catch their breath, but soon enough they turned and began to circle around each other, hissing and spitting as they did so.

"What are they doing?" Ashfur meowed, every muscle in his body tense as he watched.

"You'll see," Blackclaw replied vaguely, his eyes intent on the scene before him. Ashfur growled in frustration but quickly returned his gaze to the ring as well without another word.

The cats were circling even closer to each other now, but neither one had made their move. Suddenly, without any warning, the tom sprang towards his opponent, claws outstretched. He easily bowled the smaller she-cat over, and she hit the ground with a loud thud. The Twolegs began cheering wildly, waving their pieces of paper in the air.

Instantly, the tom pinned her down and began tearing at her with both his claws and his teeth. However, he only got a few scratches in before the she-cat raked her thorn-sharp claws down his belly. He sprang backwards, spitting furiously, and his opponent quickly scrambled to her feet and faced him once more.

This time, there was no hesitation. The she-cat made a massive leap towards the tom, easily clearing his head and landing on his back. She dug her front claws into his pelt and began battering at the back of his head with her hind paws. All four of the Clan cats stared in amazement. They'd never seen a move like this before.

The tom let out a low growl and began to roll in an attempt get the she-cat off of his back. Just as he was about to hit the ground, she sprang away and landed nimbly on her feet. The tom, on the other hand, wasn't able to stop his roll, and the she-cat pinned him down just as his belly began to face the air.

The she-cat managed to tear her opponent's ear open with her teeth and land a few scratches on his side before he suddenly surged upwards, sending her flying across the ring. She landed nearly two tail-lengths away, skidding through the dirt and sending up great clouds of dust around her.

The tom reached the she-cat before she could move, but instead of pinning her down, he crushed her head into the ground with his paw. She began to thrash violently, but her struggles soon turned into a fit of coughing as she inhaled the dust on the ground through her nose.

The tom began to laugh malevolently, mashing her head even harder into the ground. All four Clan cats were tense with anticipation, waiting for the moment when the she-cat's last breath would leave her body.

But that moment never came.

At first, it seemed like she had been defeated. She fell limp and flattened her dark gray fur, looking for all the world as if she were dead. The golden tabby tom yowled in triumph, his cry echoing throughout the sleeping forest, before leaning down to sink his fangs into his opponent's throat.

Suddenly, the she-cat flipped onto her back kicked her hind legs into the softest part of the tom's belly. He winced and stumbled, but instead of easily regaining his balance, he tripped over the she-cat, who was still laying on the ground.

Letting out a venomous snicker, the she-cat sprang to her feet and instantly began tearing at her fallen enemy. Her movements were like lightning. One moment, her fangs would be ripping a chunk out of his shoulder, the next her claws were running along the entire length of his back. To the untrained eye, her battle tactics might look haphazard and unplanned, but the Clan cats could see they were not.

Instead of striking randomly at one of the tom's body parts in a frenzy of claws and teeth, she was slowly working her way down his body until every part of him was marred with a fresh wound. By the time the she-cat had reached the base of his tail, his fur was completely soaked through with his own blood. It was a gruesome sight.

Throughout all of this, the she-cat never let her victim move a muscle. Occasionally he would let out a moan of pain, but it was quickly stifled as she tore open another wound in his flesh.

The Twolegs were cheering wildly now, stamping their feet and banging their hands on the fence. The she-cat responded to this loud yowling by tearing at her opponent even faster, until, finally, his heart stopped and he fell limp.

This time, half of the Twolegs groaned in defeat, while the rest began jumping around and caterwauling their victory. The she-cat, instead of doing the same, simply sat down and began washing the blood off of her paws as if she had done nothing more than catch a juicy mouse.

A slow smile began to spread across Blackclaw's face, and he turned to look at his shocked companions. "I think we've found our revenge."

As he said this, a Twoleg walked into the ring and picked up the victorious she-cat. This time, instead of struggling like the Clan cats expected, she lay limply in it's arms and continued to wash herself, too exhausted to do anything else.

"Follow me," Blackclaw growled, flicking his tail and moving silently after the Twoleg and it's prisoner. "And for StarClan's sake, _be quiet._"

The three warriors quickly scrambled after their leader as quietly as they could, their noses to the air and their expressions cautious. None of them could relax when they were so close to this many Twolegs.

After a few minutes of slinking silently through the thick undergrowth, the four Clan cats finally followed the she-cat and her captor into a small clearing. In the center of the clearing was a tiny, run-down Twoleg nest. It's wooden walls were peeling and rotted, and the roof looked as if it were about to fall in. The only way to get inside was a small door with a hole at the bottom big enough for a cat.

Blackclaw halted and raised his tail. "Wait here," he growled to his companions.

"But what if the cats inside attack you?" meowed Owlwhisker, unsheathing his claws as he spoke. He was ready for a fight.

"If you hear me yowling, you may come inside," the smoky black tom replied, lashing his tail. "Otherwise, you will stay out here. Is that understood?"

All three cats nodded.

"Good," Blackclaw snorted before turning and strutting towards the old Twoleg nest. As he came closer to it, the smell of rotting wood and crowfood hit his nostrils like a tidal wave and he screwed up his nose to block out the disgusting stench.

The Twoleg was already inside the nest and as Blackclaw put his ear against the door he heard it's paws pounding on the floor. He could also hear the loud rattling sound of kittypet food hitting a metal bowl and the low murmur of cats talking to one another. Blackclaw strained to hear what they were saying, but it was always drowned out by the noisy clatter.

Finally, the rattling stopped and the Twoleg began moving towards the door. Blackclaw sucked in a deep breath and pressed himself against the wall, hoping to stay out of sight, but as the Twoleg walked out of the door it didn't even glance in his direction.

Never relaxing, the black tom slid towards the door and began sniffing it cautiously. Just as he was about to go inside, an authoritative female voice called out from behind the door.

"Come in," growled the voice. "We know you're out there."

Cautiously, Blackclaw squeezed through the hole, his muscles tense and ready to run. But as he made his way into the tiny Twoleg nest, he realized he didn't need to worry at all.

The single room was very dark, lit only by a dim light bulb that flickered feebly overhead. It looked even more run down on the inside, and smelled strongly of mould and rotted prey. The wooden floor was damp and squishy like an old log and the ceiling looked as if it would fall on his head at any second. The room itself was completely bare, except for a tiny shredded rug in the middle of the floor and a pile of cages pushed against the wall. And inside these cages, staring at him with hostile glowing eyes, were dozens of cats.

Blackclaw could tell that all of these cats had lived a hard life, even though they made their home among Twolegs. Each of them was skinnier than a WindClan warrior, and hard muscles rippled under their ragged, battle-scarred pelts.

"What do you want?" growled the same voice as before, and Blackclaw realized it was the gray tabby she-cat who was speaking. Her dark gray pelt was matted with blood and she looked exhausted, but she still managed to stare down at him with anger and suspicion in her eyes.

"My name is Blackclaw," Blackclaw replied, trying to keep his voice respectful. "I saw you fighting back there, and I thought you could help me-"

"Why should _we_ help _you_?" demanded another she-cat, narrowing her blue eyes at him. Blackclaw had to admit, her gaze was very intimidating for someone so small.

"Hush, Sky," growled the first she-cat, waving her long tail. She then turned to Blackclaw, waiting for his answer to her companion's question.

"I'll make you a deal," he meowed, his eyes scanning their decrepit living conditions as he moved closer to the pile of cages. "If you do me this favour, I'll let you out of these filthy dens and give you a place to live far away from here."

"What is this place like?" the she-cat growled. She seemed to be seriously considering his offer.

"It's a very big territory around a lake," Blackclaw replied. "There would be plenty of room for all of you, and many more rogues if you would like. You would have to work for it of course, but the reward is certainly worth it."

"Why are you listening to this cat, Shadow?" growled another cat, this time a huge ginger-and-white tom. "He must be lying. No one could have all of that."

Shadow shot him a furious glance. "I have been living in these cages for much longer than you, Thorn," she hissed. "Every day is a struggle between life and death. I am the only one who has lasted this long, and that is why I am your leader." A bitter look crept across her face. "I would give anything to get out of here, and if I leave, you're all coming with me."

Thorn's only reply was to sit down and grumble sullenly to himself. Shadow turned back to Blackclaw, whose face had lit up with triumph at her speech.

"So," she meowed. "What do you want the Assassins to help you with?"

**Is anybody else getting a sense of déjà vu? You'd think Blackclaw would learn from Tigerstar's mistakes. x) So, did you guys like it? Did you hate it? Was it so-so? Tell me by clicking that little purpley-blue button in the left corner. It would be much appreciated. ;) I know this chapter is a lot shorter than the last few chapters in The Bramble and The Hawk, but don't worry! The rest of the chapters will hopefully hover around 3000 words or more. My biggest goal for this story is to write a chapter over 4000 words. Just remember, the more reviews I get, the longer my chapters will be. x)**


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**To all of my old readers, I can't thank you enough for remembering this story after so long. As for any new readers out there, I can't thank **_**you **_**enough for noticing this story and deciding to read it. Without you guys, there wouldn't be any point in writing this at all. (: Anyways, in these next few chapters, there will be much fighting and suspense, possibly even more than the ending of The Bramble and The Hawk. I just hope you guys can handle it. ;)**

**WildCroconaw - Ahah, it made me shudder just writing it. xD Yeah, the cat-fighting thing is supposed to resemble dog-fighting, even though that probably doesn't actually happen. I doubt you could train a cat to fight. x)**

**Lightkit - I think there was a football guy who did that. Didn't he just get released or something...? Oh well. Anyways, yes, they should be ashamed of themselves! I'm ashamed of myself just for coming up with the thing. xD**

**Kinkajou Karata - Lmfao, thanks Leafia! Don't worry, Night and Breeze will be seeing each other a **_**lot **_**in the second half of the story.**

Blackstorm padded easily through ThunderClan territory with his siblings, his nose in the air and a look of concentration on his face. He, Fireblaze and Nightfrost had been hunting for what seemed like hours, and they hadn't caught a single thing. The young black tom could feel the frustration, an emotion he rarely ever experienced, growing inside of him with every step.

"This is no use," he meowed finally, stopping to look at his littermates. "We've been out here since sunhigh and we haven't seen one morsel of prey."

"Well we can't just give up and go back to camp," mewed Nightfrost, a pale gray she-cat. She stared up at her brother stubbornly. "The Clan needs food now more than ever."

Blackstorm snorted. "I'm sure they'll forgive us when they realize all the prey from here to the mountains has disappeared." He tasted the air quickly to prove his point. Nightfrost narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to retort.

"You don't-"

"Let's head towards the WindClan border," Fireblaze, a ginger tom, broke in before the gray she-cat could finish her sentence. "If we haven't caught anything by the time we get there, then we can go back."

Blackstorm relaxed. "Good idea, Fireblaze," he meowed, his usual smile spreading across his face. Nightfrost merely grunted in consent, her jaw still set stubbornly. It wasn't often that someone interrupted her in the middle of an argument.

The three siblings turned and began heading towards the WindClan border, Blackstorm scenting the air for prey the whole time. Above him, the pale blue sky was barely visible through the thick red and gold canopy, though he knew there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Below, old, dried up leaves crackled loudly under his paws, and it was this, he realized, that was scaring away all the prey.

Taking care to keep his paw steps light, the dark-furred tom padded slowly towards the border stream, his senses on high alert. As he walked, an orange leaf drifted past his nose, and he reached up to bat at it playfully.

As he dropped back down onto all fours, he saw both Fireblaze and Nightfrost staring at him as if he were completely mouse-brained, and his ears flattened in embarrassment.

"This isn't the time to playing around like a kit, Blackstorm," Nightfrost grumbled, obviously still miffed at him. "We have prey to catch. The Clan can't survive on _leaves._"

The black tom heard Fireblaze growl in annoyance at his sister. "Don't yowl at him, Nightfrost," he meowed, his voice uncharacteristically hard. "I'm sure you want to jump at leaves, too. This is the first time we've ever seen the forest in full leaf-fall. We were only kits last time."

It was obvious to Blackstorm that the ginger warrior still mistrusted Nightfrost after she had tried to kill them two moons ago. The pale gray she-cat insisted that she had somehow been possessed by Tigerstar, but Fireblaze, being the more intelligent of the three, had never really believed her story.

The black warrior let out a low sigh as his sister glared at Fireblaze furiously. Now that the Clans were at peace once more, the only thing he truly wanted was for his littermates to stop fighting - even though it seemed like that would never happen.

Shaking his head to cast out these depressing thoughts, Blackstorm raised his nose and scented the air once more. The sweet perfume of prey wafted towards him on the breeze and he froze, his tail sticking straight up in the air.

"Do you smell that?" he hissed to his siblings, jerking his head towards the left.

Nightfrost nodded. "There's a squirrel over here, too," she meowed, flicking her tail in the opposite direction.

Without another word, the two of them split off from Fireblaze and began heading towards their respective quarry. Blackstorm's nose fell to the ground as he followed the strong scent through the undergrowth, and he soon came upon a fat mouse nibbling on something outside it's hole.

Dropping into a crouch, the young warrior skirted around to the mouse's other side where there were more plants to hide his approach. As slowly and silently as he could, he began to creep towards the rodent, his paws so light on the ground he felt as if he were floating. Soon enough, he was right behind the little gray creature and it hadn't noticed a thing.

With a hiss of satisfaction, the tom swung his forepaw through the air and it landed right on top of the startled mouse's head, crushing it and knocking out it's last breath. A wide smile spreading across his face, Blackstorm quickly buried his catch to retrieve later and padded back towards the path. At least now the Clan would have one more piece of prey to count on.

As he reached his siblings, he saw Nightfrost empty-pawed and looking frustrated.

"I didn't catch it," she announced as the black tom approached. Blackstorm frowned.

"Bad luck," he meowed sympathetically, placing his tail on her shoulder. "Maybe you'll catch one next time."

Nightfrost's mouth twitched up into the tiniest of smiles, but she didn't say anything. Obviously, her anger at Fireblaze had replaced her frustration with Blackstorm. The gray she-cat had been like that ever since she was seven moons old - whenever she quarrelled with someone, she would immediately forget about it the moment she got into a new argument. The only cat Blackstorm had ever seen her hold a long-lasting grudge on was Hawkstar.

"Let's keep going," Fireblaze meowed, snapping the dark-furred warrior out of his thoughts. "We haven't got all day."

Blackstorm nodded, and even Nightfrost let out a grunt of agreement. With that, the three littermates began heading once more towards the WindClan border, their ears pricked and their senses on high alert.

Soon the sound of the stream that marked the end of ThunderClan's territory reached Blackstorm's ears, and his tail drooped in disappointment. Even though they had been hunting for ages, they had only managed to catch one piece of prey. The Clan would be disappointed.

"We may as well head back-" he began, only to be cut off as Nightfrost stuffed her tail in his mouth.

"Shhhh," she hissed. "Do you hear that?"

Blackstorm froze and his ears swivelled towards the area where Nightfrost was pointing. Sure enough, the loud screeches and yowls of battle were drifting towards him on the wind, making his fur stand on end.

"WindClan must be attacking," Fireblaze growled.

The three of them glanced at one another, and then, as if on some silent signal, began racing towards the source of the commotion. They weaved easily between the tree trunks and bramble bushes as they ran, as familiar with this part of the territory as any senior warrior, even though they had spent most of their apprenticeship far away.

It seemed only heartbeats before Blackstorm spotted the blur of moving pelts and the flash of claws in the sun nearby. The black-furred tom skidded to a halt to assess the situation.

The ThunderClan patrol, which consisted of a battered-looking Dustpelt, Birchfall and Poppyleaf, were outnumbered three to six - but their opponents weren't any cats that Blackstorm recognized.

"Rogues," he growled to himself furiously. The warrior charged into the battle and leaped on one of the two cats that were facing off against Poppyleaf. The small dark gray she-cat let out a yowl of surprise as Blackstorm's claws dug into her flank.

"Fool!" she yowled. "I'll shred you!"

Blackstorm hissed. "I'd like to see you try!"

The rogue spun around faster than Blackstorm thought possible, throwing the young warrior off her hindquarters. He skidded across the ground, feeling rocks dig into his pelt before he could jump to his feet again.

The two cats circled each other for a moment, spitting in each other's faces and waiting for their opponent to make the first move. Suddenly, the rogue's paw shot out and crashed down on Blackstorm's head. He stumbled backwards with the force of the blow, his eyes swimming, and before he could regain his balance, the rogue had pounced.

Blackstorm felt her weight knock him to the ground, and her teeth sink in dangerously close to his neck. Letting out a low growl, the dark-furred warrior rolled onto his feet before the rogue could pin him down and attempted to slice his claws down her side.

The rogue leaped nimbly away from the attack with a hiss and crouched down. Blackstorm watched her suspiciously as she began to move slowly forwards, her eyes locked on his left side. Suddenly, she lunged forward, and the tom moved to protect his left. At the last second, the she-cat faked to his right and raked her claws down his side.

Blackstorm whirled around to face her, but she was ready for him. Just as he was fully turned around, the she-cat lowered her head and rammed her full weight into his chest. The warrior felt himself stumbling once more, and only a heartbeat later a gray tail swept under his paws and sent him crashing to the ground.

In a flash, the rogue leaped on top of him and pinned him with a grip so tight he knew he could never escape, despite her smaller size.

"Say goodbye," she hissed, baring her teeth in a menacing smile. She began to move towards Blackstorm's throat, and the dark-furred tom knew the end had come.

As the she-cat's fangs grew ever closer, the world seemed to stop and move in slow motion. Every second seemed like an eternity as he stared up at his killer. All he could hear was the blood roaring in his ears and the pounding of his heart in his chest. All he could smell was his own fear and the putrid stench of the cat above him. All he could see were glistening fangs bathed in crimson, moving closer and closer, inch by inch-

"Shadow!"

The she-cat's head shot up and she let out a low, menacing snarl. "What do you want, Fang?"

The cat she was speaking to was a bulky black tom with green eyes. The chunks of his fur that hadn't been torn off were matted with blood, and he looked exhausted. Even in the wake of his own death, Blackstorm had to admit it was a sorry sight.

"We're losing badly," he meowed, looking ashamed. "I don't think we can keep fighting for much longer."

Shadow growled furiously. "Fine," she hissed. "We will continue scouting tomorrow. But don't think you cowardly mouse-brains won't be punished for this."

With that, the she-cat lifted her head called out loudly to her companions. "Retreat!"

Blackstorm heard the scurrying of paws as the rogues raced back across the WindClan border. Shadow looked down at him, and he winced at the terrifying expression on her face.

"Don't think you've seen the last of me, scum," she spat before releasing her grip on him and padding after her followers. Blackstorm immediately scrambled to his feet and stared after her in amazement. He had been sure he was about to die. In fact, now that he thought about it, that was the third time in his life that he had narrowly escaped his own demise. He must have more luck than he thought.

"Blackstorm, are you okay?"

The dark-furred tom looked up and saw Fireblaze and Nightfrost rushing towards him, their eyes filled with worry.

"I'm fine," he meowed breathlessly. "It's just a scratch."

"Just a scratch?" Nightfrost exclaimed. "You're covered in blood!"

Blackstorm blinked in surprise and twisted around to look at himself. Indeed, his black fur was stained with crimson, and still more blood was gushing out of a deep wound in his side.

"Come on, let's get you to Leafpool," Fireblaze meowed. They moved to either side of him, and Blackstorm felt himself slumping onto their shoulders. He hadn't realized how weak he was until now.

Before the three of them could begin to walk they saw Dustpelt, Birchfall and Poppyleaf padding towards them, looking only slightly less battered than Blackstorm was.

"Thank StarClan you three got here when you did," Dustpelt meowed gratefully. "If you had come any later, we would have been finished."

"It was no problem," Fireblaze meowed solemnly.

Dustpelt nodded in acknowledgment and glanced at his two companions. "We'd better get back to camp," he meowed. "This has to be reported to Graystar."

It took the patrol quite awhile to reach the stone hollow, considering they constantly had to support Blackstorm, who was growing weaker by the second.

When they finally pushed their way through the gorse tunnel, Cloudtail, who was guarding the entrance, jumped up and stared at them in shock.

"What happened?" he asked, his blue eyes wide.

"Rogues on the WindClan border," Dustpelt meowed shortly. "We need to speak with Graystar."

"I'll get him," Cloudtail mewed, turning and bounding towards the Highledge. Dustpelt turned to Blackstorm.

"You need to go see Leafpool," he meowed.

"But I want to hear what Graystar says!" the young warrior protested weakly. Blackstorm's former mentor sighed.

"Fine. But you're going to the medicine cat den straight afterwards."

Blackstorm nodded and sat down just as Graystar padded out of his den with Cloudtail in tow. The two of them bounded down the rocks that led up to the Highledge and faced the patrol.

"Cloudtail tells me you fought some rogues on the WindClan border?" he meowed. Dustpelt nodded.

"There were six of them. We were outnumbered until these three came," he meowed, gesturing towards Blackstorm, Fireblaze and Nightfrost with his tail.

"Do you have any idea why they were there?" the ThunderClan leader asked. Everyone shook their heads but Blackstorm.

"I heard their leader say something about scouting," he piped up. Graystar nodded and beckoned to Stormfur, the ThunderClan deputy, who was watching the conversation with interest.

"Yes, Graystar?" he meowed as he approached.

"Double the patrols, and make sure there is always a hunting party nearby," he ordered. "We have a large group of scouting rogues on our paws."

Stormfur blinked in surprise. "Why would they be scouting?"

"I don't know," Graystar meowed, shaking his head. "But we might find out at the Gathering tonight."


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**I'm so sorry for the late update! I had a total stupidity moment a few days ago. Thinking I'd already saved this chapter on another file, I completely erased it and began writing Chapter 3. Then, about a quarter of the way through that chapter, I realized that, no, I actually **_**hadn't **_**saved this chapter, and I had to start it all over again. You would not believe how boring redoing a chapter is, and how long it actually takes. And, on top of that, I got myself grounded for two long, depressing weeks. So, once again, I'm extremely sorry. I assure I'm punishing myself thoroughly, so you don't have to come running after me with pitchforks and torches, even though I deserve it.**

**Kinkajou Karata - Why am I lucky? Sorry, I'm a bit slow in the head, if you couldn't tell by that author's note up there. O_o**

**Lightkit - It wasn't that quick. There were a couple days between the prologue and Chapter 1. As for them turning against each other, that wasn't my original plan, but it's an interesting idea. x)**

That night, Nightfrost leaped off the log that led to the Gathering island, and paused on the bank, taking in the fresh air and the beauty of the moon bathing the world in a sheen silver. High above her, Silverpelt twinkled merrily in the night sky, the spirits of her warrior ancestors watching over her - or, that was what the rest of the Clan cats believed. Nightfrost knew better.

When she had been possessed by Tigerstar over two moons ago, the gray she-cat had been sent to the starry version of Fourtrees, which was like the crossroads between the earth, StarClan and the Place of No Stars.

After she had awoken there, she had instantly thought she was dead - why else would she be in a place that had long since been destroyed? However, her late mother, Squirrelflight, who was killed on the first day of her apprenticeship, and her grandfather, Firestar had come to her and explained everything. They had also showed her starpools, which were almost like holes in the sky which the StarClan cats used to watch the earthbound Clans.

Though Nightfrost didn't want to go back to that place anytime soon, she did miss the two dead warriors and wished she could see them again, Firestar especially. The ginger tom, who shared both the name and the looks of her brother, Fireblaze, was celebrated among all the Clans for vanquishing BloodClan and their horrible leader, Scourge. Unfortunately, he had died a long time before she and her littermates had been born, and it had been his death that had triggered the whole mess with Bramblestar and Hawkstar.

"Move it!" hissed an irritated voice behind Nightfrost, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You're blocking the line!"

The she-cat turned to see Spiderleg glaring at her, his long black fur bristling and his unsheathed claws digging into the wood of the log. Sure enough, a long line of cats was standing behind him, complaining loudly about the hold-up.

"Sorry," she meowed sarcastically, stepping out of the way. "I didn't realize you were so pushy."

Spiderleg merely sniffed and strutted into the bushes without saying a word. Nightfrost stared after him angrily. She had never liked the warrior - he had infuriated her ever since she was a kit, with his snide remarks and undeserving arrogance. She felt sorry for Fireblaze - he had been Spiderleg's apprentice.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the young she-cat began pushing her way through the bushes and emerged in the clearing where the Gatherings were held. All four Clans had arrived, although none of the leaders were perched on the Great Oak as of yet.

As she glanced around the clearing, she felt a sense of loneliness begin to creep over her. Fireblaze was talking to Minnowtail, Pebblestream and Owlfeather near the bushes on the other side, and Blackstorm had been unable to come because of his injuries. At the moment, she was alone.

Her blue eyes began to scan the clearing for someone familiar to talk to, and suddenly she froze, her muscles locking up with tension. Sitting near the Great Oak, talking amiably to Heathertail, was a very familiar black-furred tom.

The very sight of him made Nightfrost's broken heart ache in her chest. She could remember their last encounter, when Hawkstar was still at large. Tigerstar, who still possessing her at the time, had tried to kill the tom she loved. She had barely managed to retake her body before Breezepelt was killed, sparing him, but ever since the young tom had hated her with a passion.

As she watched, Breezepelt suddenly stiffened and turned slowly around, as if he could feel her gaze on his back. Their eyes met, and Nightfrost felt her heart pump madly in her chest and chills run up her spine. He was so beautiful.

They stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity until Breezepelt's handsome face twisted into a scowl and he turned away. The expression on his face made her heart shatter into even tinier pieces, until she was sure there was nothing left for him to break. How she wished she could go back in time and prevent Tigerstar from doing what he did.

Nightfrost continued watching the tom forlornly for another long moment until Cinderheart's voice snapped her out of her misery.

"Nightfrost!" she called. The young she-cat turned to see the warrior sitting next to her sisters, Honeyfur and Poppyleaf. All three were smiling at her warmly.

"Come sit over here," Cinderheart continued, patting the space next to her with her tail. Nightfrost gave the three of them an unsteady smile and padded hesitantly towards them. She was glad for their friendliness, but she wasn't sure she should be talking to anyone at the moment - not when she was in this state.

"Are you okay?" Poppyleaf asked as Nightfrost sat down, concern laced in her voice. "You don't look too great."

The pale gray she-cat shrugged. "I'm fine," she meowed unconvincingly. "I'm just thinking."

"About him?" Poppyleaf asked, glancing meaningfully in Breezepelt's direction. It was no secret that the two young warriors had once liked each other. Only a very few knew why they had broken up, however, and Nightfrost wanted to keep it that way.

"Yeah," she admitted with a sigh, her shoulders slumping.

"Don't worry about it," Cinderheart meowed, placing her tail on Nightfrost's shoulder. "You're too good for him, anyways."

"Yeah," Honeyfur piped up cheerfully. "There are plenty of toms out there that deserve you so much more than he does."

"Do _you _like anyone, Honeyfur?" Nightfrost asked, pricking her ears in fake interest. To be honest, she was just trying to move the topic away from her and Breezepelt's relationship. She didn't think she was too good for Breezepelt at all - in fact, it was the other way around in her mind.

"Maybe," Honeyfur mewed evasively, staring down at her paws in embarrassment. The pale gray warrior could almost see the other she-cat's cheeks heating up under her light brown fur.

"Who is it?" Nightfrost prompted, though she still wasn't quite interested. Both Cinderheart and Poppyleaf were watching their sister with curiosity as well.

Honeyfur continued to carefully scrutinize the ground as she replied, "Spiderleg."

"_Spiderleg?"_ Cinderheart exclaimed in astonishment as all of Nightfrost's thoughts about Breezepelt disappeared in complete shock. "Why?"

"He's just so handsome, and smart, and brave…" she meowed, her eyes dancing madly and her voice becoming mushy. Nightfrost's jaw dropped. How could Honeyfur possibly like Spiderleg? He was the most infuriating, self-centered, arrogant little piece of fox-dung she had ever met. Ever since her kithood the black and brown tom had annoyed any sense of understanding or sensitivity towards him right out of her. The earlier incident by the log only emphasized that.

Both Poppyleaf and Cinderheart were staring at each other in shock. Apparently they hadn't heard about any of this before now either.

"Er, are you sure, Honeyfur?" Poppyleaf meowed hesitantly, her eyes flickering in Spiderleg's direction. He was sitting at the edge of the clearing, talking to Oakfur - one of Hawkstar's biggest supporters.

"Of course I'm sure!" Honeyfur growled indignantly, her fur standing up on end. Nightfrost was startled. Normally the she-cat was gentle and shy - perhaps she had already been rejected by the tom. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"He's just a bit, um-"

Poppyleaf didn't get to finish as a loud yowl echoed throughout the clearing, signalling the beginning of the Gathering. All four she-cats turned to look at the Great Oak where the leaders sat, Honeyfur's pelt still bristling with annoyance.

It only took a moment for the crowd to fall completely silent as they all looked up into the branches, waiting for someone to speak and begin the monthly meeting.

Beechstar stepped forward first. "RiverClan fares well despite leaf-fall's grip. Prey is plentiful, and our warriors thrive. Just two sunrises ago, a patrol of warriors drove off a fox who had decided to sniff around our camp. We also have two new apprentices, Sneezepaw and Mallowpaw. That is all."

The clearing was filled with cheering for a moment as the Clans congratulated the apprentices, and Graystar, who was next, waited for it to die down before beginning to speak.

"I wonder if he'll mention the rogues," Poppyleaf murmured in Nightfrost's ear, drowning out the ThunderClan leader's opening words.

"He should," the gray she-cat whispered back. "It will make us seem stronger if the other Clans know we won against such a big patrol of those loners."

"Quiet!" hissed a voice before Poppyleaf could reply, and Nightfrost's ears flattened in embarrassment as Cloudtail turned and gave them an angry look.

"Sorry, Cloudtail," she meowed, ducking her head. The white tom grunted and turned his blue eyes towards the leaders once more. Nightfrost followed his lead and focused on Graystar's words.

"…and the prey runs well," he was meowing, his deep voice booming from his perch on the ancient tree. "Today, some of our warriors drove off a large patrol of rogues on the WindClan border, and-"

He stopped as Russetstar interrupted his announcement. "Those rogues were on our territory, too!" she cried, an accusatory ring in her words. She glared at Graystar, as if she was blaming it all on him - which she probably was.

"We saw them as well," Ashstar mewed calmly, and the ShadowClan leader sat down reluctantly, knowing she couldn't blame it on ThunderClan anymore. Clearly, she was determined to retain the old rivalry between the two Clans, which dated back to the very beginning when Thunder, Shadow, Wind and River ruled.

The three leaders all glanced at Beechstar expectantly. He was the only one who hadn't commented on the rogue's sudden appearance.

"RiverClan hasn't seen them yet," he reported. "But we will be sure to keep a look out in case they stray onto our territory as well."

"That's not good enough!" Russetstar meowed, riling herself up again. "We can't just _keep a look out_. We must drive them away for good."

There were answering yowls of agreement from the crowd, coming mainly from the mouths of the ShadowClan cats, though there were a few exceptions.

"Russetstar is right!" cried a voice over all the others. Nightfrost recognized it as Spiderleg - of course he was one of the exceptions. She didn't expect any less.

Honeyfur swooned at the sound of his voice.

"We can't just let those mouse-brained rogues strut across our territory like they own the place!" the brown and black tom continued angrily.

_That's exactly what you do, but you don't see me trying to stop you, _Nightfrost shot back in her head, wishing she could say it out loud. Honeyfur continued to swoon.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Ashstar meowed reasonably once Spiderleg finally decided to shut up. "Does anyone know why these rogues have come?"

Nightfrost appreciated her calm tone, and apparently so did everyone else - well, mostly everyone.

"One of my warriors heard something about scouting during the fight," Graystar meowed. "They must be seeing what our territories have to offer, but why?"

"I think I know," Beechstar announced before Russetstar could yowl out her reply. "They must want to look around because they want our territories for themselves."

There was a collective hiss of outrage at the RiverClan leader's words, and this time Nightfrost was included. How dare those pieces of fox-dung try to take _her _territory!

Someone's voice rose over the mass of hissing and spitting that had erupted in the clearing - Tornear. "As if!" he cried with a derisive snort. "There's only six of them! They'll never be able to take what's rightfully ours!"

Beechstar nodded. "That's the kind of attitude we want to see. When they see how much of us there really are, they may increase the size of their forces. They may already have a large group at their command. But whatever the case, we will be ready for them - whether they are facing a single cat or an entire Clan. No rogue will be able to get past us, and they definitely won't take our territory."

The yowls of agreement at his words were so loud they made Nightfrost's eardrums throb. She could see why he had been picked as the leader of a revolution when Hawkstar had ruled. Words, if spoken correctly, could do anything, and Beechstar certainly knew how to talk.

"If, in fact, this group of rogues is large enough to pose a threat, then we must unite against our oppressors," the light brown tom continued. "Old rivalries must be forgotten so we can bring down our enemies. It has worked before, and it will work again. If any Clan learns something important about these loners, then they should report it to the others. If we are not all equally informed about our rivals, then we will never prevail."

Everyone, Nightfrost included, was so entranced by the RiverClan leader's words that not even Russetstar looked angry when he began to tell the other Clans what to do. They were all snapped out of their reverie, however, when he turned to look at the other leaders and spoke.

"Do you have anything to add?"

Graystar was the first to recover. He shook his head and replied, "Not that I can think of."

"You said it all, Beechstar," Ashstar meowed, bowing her head in respect to the other leader.

"Then this Gathering is over." With that, Beechstar leaped off his perch, followed by the other three leaders. Nightfrost stood up and glanced at Cinderheart, who was still beside her.

"Well that was interesting," she meowed.

"I bet Blackstorm will be sad he missed that," the other gray she-cat laughed. Nightfrost smiled at her friend, and the two of them began to make their way towards the log.

Suddenly, a loud yowl echoed from the edge of the clearing, making Nightfrost and Cinderheart freeze in their tracks.

"Intruders!"

The two young she-cats glanced at each other in shock and began running in the direction of the cry. A crowd was gathering around it's source, and the two she-cats began to force their way through. When they finally made it to the front of the mob, the sight that met their eyes made them freeze once more.

Blackclaw, Ashfur, Rowanclaw and Owlwhisker were standing in front of them staring arrogantly across the crowd. Nightfrost couldn't believe it. How could these four pieces of fox-dung even _think _about coming back here, after everything they had done? To quote Blackclaw after he had discovered Hawkstar was dead, it was "preposterous."

"Excuse us! Coming through!" called a voice, and Nightfrost saw the crowd parting to let the leaders through. Their eyes narrowed when they spotted the four traitors, and Beechstar let out a low growl.

"Blackclaw."

Blackclaw's lip curled. "Hello, Beech_star._"

The light brown tom's tail lashed back and forth angrily. The two RiverClan cats had despised one another ever since Blackclaw had helped Hawkstar take over. "What do you want?" he spat. "You know you're not welcome here."

Blackclaw pretended to look hurt. "I was under the impression we were. We want to rejoin the Clans."

The crowd began to mutter angrily, but quickly closed their mouths when the leaders signalled for silence.

"Of course you can't!" Beechstar seethed, looking angrier than Nightfrost had ever seen him before. He was normally a very calm cat - when he wasn't riling up a crowd, that is.

"What Beechstar means to say is, after everything that has happened, it will be difficult for us to accept you into our ranks again," Ashstar cut in before the other leader could continue with his angry words.

Blackclaw's expression morphed into one of repentance and sorrow. "We have realized the wrong of our ways, and we are truly sorry. We realize now that we should have never followed Hawkstar like we did. All we want is a second chance. Right?"

The tom glanced at his companions, and all three nodded solemnly.

The leaders shared a significant look, and it was Graystar who answered this time. "We will have to talk it over," he meowed. "We'll return with our verdict shortly."

The long-haired gray tom flicked his tail and padded into the bushes, followed by Beechstar, Russetstar and Ashstar.

Nightfrost stared at the spot where they had disappeared for a long time before turning slowly to look at the traitors. Their expressions had become haughty once more, and they were watching the Clan cats with a mixture of superiority and disgust. However, the young she-cat had eyes for only one.

Ashfur.

Her father, whom she looked exactly alike, had been Bramblestar's biggest supporter and deputy. It was actually his fault that Firestar had died and the Clans had descended into utter chaos. Despite that, Nightfrost had still missed him, and these feelings made her ashamed.

The Clans and the four newcomers stared tensely at one another for what seemed like an eternity until a loud rustling in the bushes signalled the leaders' approach. Nightfrost's gaze followed them until they stopped in front of the traitors and Graystar began to speak.

"We have made our decision," he meowed. "You will stay."

Many cats yowled in outrage at this announcement. Nightfrost could only stare at her leader in shock. How could he do this to her? How could he make her life miserable again, when it was finally starting to get better?

"However," the ThunderClan tom continued when the noise died down a moment later. "If you try anything, anything at all, you will immediately be exiled and sentenced to live on your own. We will give you your second chance, but there is no third."

"We understand," Blackclaw meowed seriously. Graystar nodded and turned to the crowd and quoted Beechstar's earlier words.

"This Gathering is over."

The mass of Clan cats began to surge towards the log, and Nightfrost could only be pushed along numbly with them. This was horrible. Her father was back, to remind her of the darkest days of her life and force her to face the emotions she still felt for him even after everything he had done.

The nightmare had begun.


End file.
